Earliest meeting: Thursday 5th May 1791Final meeting: Tuesday 14th April 1835
The earliest record of a meeting at the Lincolnshire town of Caistor was on Tuesday 5th May 1791 on common ground on the edge of the town when the Hunters Plate was won by Mr Richardson’s 6 year old Sprightly, beating Black Legs and Tuberose. By 1802 the races had moved to Rothwell Stackyard, some 2 ½ miles South East of Caistor, when the Main Caistor Plate was captured by Mr Grant’s Bother’em. The small village of Rothwell still exists today, with a wonderful country pub called the Blacksmiths Arms. On Tuesday 8th May 1804 the Caistor Hunters Plate was won by Mr Harnew’s Champion from the delightfully named Who-would-have-thought-it. Meetings continued on a regular basis and on Saturday 6th May 1815 it was Mr Harnew again who won the Hunters Plate with his Driver gelding. At the meeting on Tuesday 9th April 1833 the Caistor Plate over 2 miles saw Mr J C Marshall’s Jerry beat Atalanta and Clink’em, and after racing an Ordinary was served at the George Inn, followed by a Ball in the evening. The final meeting, specifically for Hunter chasers who had hunted with the South Wold Hunt or Lord Yarborough’s Hunt, was staged on Tuesday 14th April 1835, with entries accepted at the Red Lion Inn. Racing was still taking place in Caistor in the 1860s, although meetings included pony racing and were of an inferior quality.

In fields on the edge of Rothwell Stackyard, 2 ½ miles south east of Caistor.

If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com

Much of the information about this course has been found using internet research and is in the public domain. However, useful research sources have been:-

London Illustrated News

Racing Illustrated 1895-1899

The Sporting & Dramatic Illustrated

Northern Turf History Volumes 1-4 by J.Fairfax-Blakeborough

The Sporting Magazine

A Long Time Gone by Chris Pitt first published in 1996 ISBN 0 900599 89 8

Racing Calendars which were first published in 1727

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses

Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent.